Gossip

Brendan Fraser has offered his own contribution to the #MeToo movement, accusing former Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Philip Berk of groping him in 2003. In an interview with GQ about his decade-long absence from Hollywood, the Mummy star said he was attending an HFPA luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel when Berk allegedly grabbed his “ass cheek” and fondled him. “I felt ill,” said Fraser, 49. “I thought I was going to cry.” Fraser said he was too scared to speak out for fear of ruining his career. But he “became depressed” and ended up retreating from public life. He demanded an apology from Berk—who sent one, though he denied any wrongdoing, saying he had merely pinched the actor’s behind as a joke. The HFPA is investigating Fraser’s allegations.

The atmosphere at Megyn Kelly Today has reached “toxic” levels, said the New York Post, with staffers frequently crying on set and ratings continuing to disappoint. NBC execs are growing “weary” of host Megyn Kelly’s high-drama approach, including her feud with Jane Fonda about the actress’s history of plastic surgery. Producers now reportedly avoid using Kelly’s name when booking guests for her 9 a.m. slot—instead using Today in order to not scare off celebrities. Kelly is on a rumored annual $23 million contract until 2020, but “the general feeling is that she will not last three years,” said another network source.

Ryan Seacrest’s former personal stylist has accused the American Idol host of a years-long campaign of sexual aggression—claiming that the TV star groped her, pushed her head into his crotch, and once slapped her buttocks so hard she had a visible welt. In a letter to the cable channel E! in November, Suzie Hardy described several occasions when Seacrest allegedly subjected her to inappropriate behavior—including “grinding his erect penis against her while clad only in his underwear,” reported Variety. Hardy, who began working with Seacrest in 2006, reported him to HR in 2013, she said, which led to her employment with E! ending. E! said that it conducted “an extremely comprehensive and thorough” investigation and found “insufficient evidence to support the claims.” Seacrest denies any wrongdoing. ■